A Weekend Conversation
by Draco Is My Life
Summary: It has been a week or two since Draco and Pansy's last visit, the one where Lucius marked her. Finally able to confront his father about the brand, Draco returns to speak with his father, trying to reason everything.


It was a comfortably warm day, unusual for the time of year. As much as Lucius would love to take a walk about the ground or ride one of his fine thoroughbreds, he sat within his office with the windows propped open sitting amidst a huge pile of paperwork. Looking up briefly, he sighed as a bird landed on the trees outside one the ajar windows, wishing he would just say to hell with all this work and leave this cursed room for a while! Standing up, sauntered over to the couch, deciding on a well deserved break. Lucius smiled from the memories that rose from the old settee, what had occurred only a week or two ago. Secretly he wondered how long it be before his son noticed the brand-his- mark. "Perhaps never…" he mused softly.

The day absolutely was wonderful. It was just... beautiful. Draco'd remembered when he was younger the long days of play out in the gardens including that day he never forget. He shivered inwardly at the thought, shoving it from his mind at the moment. He thought about visiting his father not long ago, wanting to go see him when the weather was better. And so it was, taking a weekend to travel home. He figured taking a break from people at school... people in general actually. Just to spend the time with his father. Arriving home, he entered the Manor and headed up to his father's office where he knew he'd be. Stepping in quietly, he heard the soft musing. "Perhaps never what, father?" He asks quietly then, looking over at the form on the couch.

Slowly opening his eyes, Lucius turned his head to look at his son, surprise evident on his face. "Why, Draco, I didn't know you were coming home this weekend. You should have owled me so I could've finished all this work ahead of time. Do come in." Lucius jokingly scolded, gesturing for him to enter his study. Temporarily ignoring Draco's inquiry, he figured the boy would drop the question after a real conversation began. "What brought you home this weekend?" Placing his elbow on the armrest, he cupped his chin in his hand softly, gazing intently at his boy.

Draco smiled slowly then as he moved into the study and over to his father. "I meant to owl, but I wished to surprise you." He smiles again a moment, standing there in his normal black clothing, out of uniform at the moment. His eyes were cold, intense, taking more of his father's features every day. "I just wanted to visit you for a day or so." He says softly. Of course, he knew he was there to talk about Pansy and the mark on her breast, but didn't know how to just jump on the subject. He wasn't angry at the fact that he had branded her, he just didn't like it.

As Lucius watched Draco cross the room; he noticed something in those eyes. There was a certain harshness, a cold loathing in those normal warm silver eyes. The color of his son eyes were certainly inherited from Lucius, but unlike his, Draco's eyes were always warm and happy, filled with life. Years as a Death Eater ruined Lucius' eyes, turning them into cold steel orbs. Even now they were impassive, not showing emotion in any way towards Draco. Giving a light smile, he replied, "Well, I'm glad you still make time for your old man."

Perhaps it was more of his thoughts that made his eyes seem so cold and dark. Or even seeing much more than he should have. Of course there was a happiness there, but his eyes were still icy in their manner. "Of course I'd make time for you." Draco says softly, moving to sit beside him. He'd grown so much over the past few years, shooting up like a weed. He was almost taller than his father, just barely the same height.

Lucius turned slightly in his seat so that his back was on the corner of the settee and he could see Draco better. He was well aware how much his son had grown over the years, becoming more like his father every day. But one thing Draco didn't have, and hopefully would never gain, were the horrid experiences that turned Lucius so numb. Even now he felt no remorse for what he had done over time, no repentance, no reluctance. Years of work and commands caused this, a certain innocence ripped away at a tender age. "Any particular reason for this visit? Or just bored with the dunderheads at Hogwarts?"

"Dunderheads." Draco muses then, smiling slowly. "That and...just wanted to talk, that's all." He looks up at his father a moment, a warm flicker in his icy eyes. "I've stopped the cocaine, you know." He says softly. "It took taking small amounts of the drug, cutting back over the days, but I finally stopped. Now, I'm just a smoker." He chuckles softly. He knew it would lead up to Pansy after a moment... "Although... getting Pansy to stop is like pulling teeth. Repeatedly."

Lucius nodded to his son, very proud of his accomplishments. "I'm glad you've stopped those horrid drugs. It's not worth your heath to have that high you gain from it." Lucius full out laughed when Draco spoke of Pansy and how hard it was to get her to stop as well. "Yes, I would imagine so. How is she anyways, doing well, minus the dripping nose and such?" While he wished to inquire further, he would seem too suspicious at this time. So, Lucius only asked what was appropriate.

Draco sighs softly then and runs his hand through his hair a moment. "I suppose she's alright..." He says softly. "I've been ignored the past week or so. I even had something romantic set up for Valentine's and…well, it was pretty much a disaster as she never met up with me." He sighs again then, looking off to the side a moment.

Frowning slightly as Draco spoke of his Valentine's Day tragedy, Lucius asked, "Did she not know about the meeting? Did she forget? Why didn't she meet up with you?" Lucius was quite putout by this disrespectful act, insulted as a Malfoy and a father that she would do this to his son. But it was almost a personal blow, considering Pansy's and his relationship, that she would do such things. Perhaps it was time for another visit…

Draco shakes his head some then. "I didn't tell her. It was more of a scavenger hunt where I set up twelve different spots for clues, although they were rather easy to figure out. Each spot had a red rose where it would be easy to find." He sighs softly, looking down then. "How stupid of me to want to do something nice." Perhaps that was why his eyes had gone cold, the pain of being ignored hurting as much as it did.

"Huh…that's quite odd that she didn't follow the clue or say something to you. Did you ask her about it afterward? Inquire why she didn't meet you at the place?" Watching the pain cross Draco's eyes and his head lower, Lucius shook his head firmly. "You are a Malfoy and Malfoys are never stupid in their decisions. It isn't your fault she didn't follow the clues."

"I couldn't find her." Draco says softly. He shakes his head a moment, bringing his hand up to rub at the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes as well. He loved her dearly, but that was a low blow to be blown off on a day meant to be spent together. "Probably off shooting up and becoming so high that it didn't matter if I was upset or not." He shrugs after a moment, lifting his head some.

"Have you confronted her to this day? Certainly you've said –something- to her since then?" Lucius was extremely upset by all of this, even if he kept himself cool and collected. "I would hope you wouldn't let her get away with such rudeness. It simply isn't right the way she treated you and you shouldn't let this go unnoticed." At this moment he was already planning to have a talk with Pansy over all of this.

Draco shakes his head slightly then. "Honestly, I don't really want to think about it. The 'what ifs' come and I start doubting myself so... I'll just give it a few days. Who knows, it might even be female hormones." He chuckles softly then, looking to his father a moment. "Although... I wanted to ask you about the mark." He says softly, knowing his father knew what he meant. "And…I want you to know, I'm not angry over it. Just... don't exactly like it."

Nodding sagely, he regarded his son as someone who he didn't give enough credit to. Draco actually thought about things more thoroughly than Lucius believe he did and had a good head on his shoulders. "Female hormones…the bane of men's existence. I've been married to your mother for almost 15 years and I still don't understand the reasons she does some things." When Draco brought up the mark, he could help but give a small smirk, "If you're not angry about it, then why do you bring it up?"

"Just to let you know that I don't hate you." Draco says softly. He looks at his father a moment then before looking down slightly. "I could have done to mark her myself, but, you beat me to it." He sighs lightly then, holding his hands together slightly. "Yeah..." He sighs then, closing his eyes a moment again, blonde lashes gracing his cheeks as he does so.

He gave a small chuckle at Draco's first admittance, "I would hope you wouldn't hate me, my son. Plus, I would have known if you hated me…you wouldn't have entered my study so…civilized." Lucius pondered on his son's words for a moment before speaking, "I do not believe you could have marked her, at least, not in the way I did. No, I don't believe you would have at all."

"It means she belongs to you though, doesn't it?" He asks softly, although, it was more of knowing that's what it meant more than anything. That was what he disliked the most. Knowing that she wasn't truly his own. "I could have marked her in time, but not so soon." He sighs lightly after a moment then, biting his bottom lip slightly. He sighed softly then and looked down again. "How can I hate you? It was my own fault for not doing it in the first place."

Lucius contemplated the questions his son asked so quickly, wondering what was the best answer for them. "I'm not quite sure how to answer your first question. The mark isn't so much that she is –mine, but that…she belongs to the Malfoys. It is an approval by me and a warning to others. I have not discussed all of the details with her either." Closing his fingers in an arch, he leaning his lips on the side closest to him.

Nodding some then, as it seemed more clear to Draco now. "I see..." He nods a moment as well then and smiles softly. It made more sense to him then. "That works." With another small nod, he smiles again, only to shift slightly to lean against his father somewhat. "Thank you for clearing that up for me." He says softly then, a small blush on his cheeks.

Giving a slight nod to the boy, Lucius smiled softly. "No problem Draco. You know I would never do something like that to you. I am simply helping you keep her within the family." Lucius knew she would have to give Pansy a speech for her rude behavior and the true meaning of her mark. "She isn't was much mine as she is ours." He concluded happily.

Draco nods some then and smiles softly again. "I thank you." He says softly. He glances to the window where the birds outside were singing. "Would you like to take a walk with me, father? It's such a lovely day... We could even go riding on the horses." He smiles softly as they hadn't done that in a while now.

"As much as I would love to toss this paperwork aside and say to hell with it, I cannot. I've put all of this off long enough, far too long if you ask those who are awaiting my responses." Lucius chuckled softly at his own wit. "But, perhaps later this weekend we can, as long as this good weather holds up."


End file.
